Thomas l-



@stuiten tetr atrut IMPROVEMENT IN MOULDING-BOXES.

(the Stlphirle numb tuin these tettets ilzttntt'mn uiting nrt et tige simu.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, THOMAS-L. LUDERS, of Olney, Richland county, Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Moulding-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in boxes or iiasks for moulding, and consists, first, in the combination with a tiask or box, constructed substantially as described hereafter, ot' certain lifting-bars, whereby the upper portion of the box may be slowly and gradually raised above the lower portion, before it is entirely removed therefrom by the usual appliances; secondly, of an adjustable tapering bevel-edged guide on one portion of the box, in combination with corresponding lugs or their equivalents lon the other portion; thirdly, of a tapering bevel-edged guide and certain lugs on` one end of the box, in combination with a tapering plain# edged guide and corresponding lugs on the opposite end of the box.

The object of my invention, which is minutely described hereafter, is to obviate thejerking of the upper portion of' the box, on imparting to it the iirst lift, andthereby prevent the disturbance of. the sand and dis arrangement otl the impression left therein by the pattern. A further object of my invention is to insure a proper coincidence of the impressi-ons left in the sand of the two portions of the box after the pattern'h'as been withdrawn, and the upper is adjusted. to the lower portion of the box. I

In order to enable others skilled in the art te make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying dra-wing, which forms e part of this speciiication, and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a moulding-box or ilask with my improvement.

Figures 2 and 3, views of the opposite ends of the box.

Figure 4, a vertical section.

Figure 5, Ia. sectional plan and Figure 6, a modified form of lifting-lever used in connection with my improvement.

Similar letters refer to similarparts throughout the several views. v

A is the upper portion, and A the lower portion ofa moulding-box or iiask, each havingI transverse ribs c, arranged to suit the pattern from which the mould has to be made, for it should be understoodthat my invention is not confined-to boxes for moulding particular objects, but refers and is applicable to all ordinary boxes or flasks used in foundries. To the lower portion A', at that end of the box seen in iig. 2,. and between two -ribs b b, is secured the guide B, by means of bolts c c, which, passing through elongated holes in the said guide,

permit the latter to be adjusted vertically for a purpose rendered apparent hereafter. The upper'portion fot this guide islnade of the tapering form represented in tig. 2, and is bevelled at the edges, as seen in g. 4.-, so as to be dove-tailed between the two lugs t 71., (figs. 2 and 5.) A tapering key, z', passing through a slot near the vtop of the guide, bears` against the lugs and serves to bind the upper to the lower portion of the box. At the opposite end of the box or iask, shown in iig. 3, is arranged a guide, Bf, which is similar-to that described, with this exception, that the upper tapering portion is not bevelled at the edges, the latter being at right angles to the face, and the lugs L L being arrangedaccordingly. 'At each corner of the box, where the upper and lower portions of the same meet each other, are horizontal recesses m m, a portion of cach recess being in the upper and a portion in the lower portion of thc box, Each recess may, however, be formed entirely in the upper or entirely in thc lower portion, providing it is adapted to lthe reception ot' a projection, n, on a lifting-arm or lever, and providing the under side of this projection bears on the'lower portion of the box:and the upper side4 of the projection can be broughtto bear on the upper portion of they box. Two 'lifting levers are required for each box, each lever consisting in the present instance of two arms, D and D', connected together by the cross bars D, the whole being malle of iron tubing,iand being light and easy to handle. For boxes of the 'smaller class, the lifting-,arm may consist of thesimpleforked instrument illustratedin fig. 6, which will' be readily understood without description. In green-sand moulding, after the sand has been thoroughly ramnied'on and about the pattern contained in the box, great caution is necessary in lifting the upper from the lowerportion, a slow, Vgradual movement, free from all jerks, being required in the rst instance, in order to prevent the displacement of' the sandf and the mutilation of the impression left therein by the pattern. When acrane is used for lifting the upper portion oi' the box, the ceiling of4 the chain round` the barrel or round the pulleys of the blocks is frequently the cause'of these detrimental jerks, as is also careless lifting by hand, the result in both cases being an imperfect mould, which cannotbe repaired without tedious manipulation. In order to etectually obviate this dilliculty, the lifting-arms and levers above described are brought into play when the first lift has to be imparted to the upper portion ot' the box. The two levers are first held in n, vertical position,` and so that the projections of one lever may be introduced into the recesses m at one end of lthe box, while those of the other lever are inserted into similar recesses in the-opposite endof the box. The two levers are then lowered to the position seen in iig. 4, gradually and as 'simultaneously as possible. In doing this the projections n n have a cam-like action on the upper portion of the box, tendingto raise the latter at the slow speed necessary t0 preserve the integrity of the impression and to prevent a resort to tedious `repairs. After the upper portion of the box has been thus slightly elevated, the usual appliunces'may be employed for raising it clear of the lower portion andconveying it to any part of the moulding floor, prior to removing the pattern from the lower portion of the box. After apattern has been removed and the properinish has. been imparted to the mould, it is important, in replacing the upper portion of the box, that its impression should exactly coincide with thatl in the lower portion. Cylindrical pins on one portion of the box, passing through holes in lugs on the other portion, have hitherto been used for the purpose of adjusting the two portions of the box to each other; but these pins and holes soon become so worn as to permit a slight lateral movement of the upper portion of the box, a movement 'which results in an imperfect `joint and such ridges and inequalities on the casting as to frequent-ly render the latter useless. I discard these pins and holes, and in'their places use the guides B and B', which, when the upper is in proper contact with the lower portion of the box, are wedged comparatively tight between the lugs b and b/ b', so that all possibility of' a lateral movement of, the upper independently of the lower portion of the box is obviuted. When these guides become slightly worn they can be readily elevated and secured lafter adjustment, so as to be as ellicient as when first used. The guide B being dove-tailed as well as wedged between the lugs z 11 retains the upper portion of the box in its proper longitudinal position in respect to the lower portion, at the same time the'two. portions of the box are free to expand or contract, independently of each other, to a limited extent, as they are unrestricted'as regards this tendency by the guide B which is not dovetailed between its lugs. It will bc evident that by the above arrangement ot' tapering guides, a coincidence of the impressions left by the pattern in the sandot' the upper and lower portions of the box is insured. It will also be evident that my invention is applicable to boxes consisting of three or even more portions.

I claim my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent y l. In combination with a lasl; or box, constructed substantially as described, I cla-im the lifting-levers, as and for the purpose set forth. 4

f2. The adjustable tapering and bevel-edged guide B, on one portion of a moulding-box, in combination with the lugs 7L 7L, or their equivalents, on the other portion of the box.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name tothis specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'lll-IOS. I. IJUDERS. Witnesses JOHN LYNCH, E. KrrcnnLL. 

